Kingdom Hearts:  Time and Time Again
by Harosata
Summary: Merlin had said to resist dark temptations when going back in time.  Sometimes, those dark temptations must be fulfilled.  KHKH2 Crossover? Hiatus
1. The End?

Kingdom Hearts and their characters are owned by Squaresoft/Disney. In other words, I own nothing in this story other than any original characters, which I doubt since there are none. Thus ends my disclaimer.

* * *

His silver hair flowing down the back of his cloak of black, Xenmas looked upon the strange heart-shaped moon that hovered near the altar, or at least what was left of it. It was because of HIM, the one who had shamed his research on the heart, that all of his efforts to turn this moon into Kingdom Hearts went into vain. It was ironic, actually, having taunted Sora's effort when it came to fighting the Heartless that released the hearts to create Kingdom Hearts. As he calculated the course of action that would restore Kingdom Hearts quickly, Xenmas could hear footsteps from below.

Xenmas glanced over the six intruders, the ones who had interfered with his plans long enough. The duck called Donald and that Goofy creature were the only two he did not have to worry about, but it seemed that their time with the Keybearer not only made them stronger but made the Keybearer stronger as well. Next was that Mickey Mouse, a king who wields one of the Keyblades. Xenmas had thought that even if the King was snooping around for hints about his plan while posing as an Organization member, there might have been nothing the King could do. Kairi, a Princess of Heart as well as of Hollow Bastion, was originally to be used as a mean to control Sora, but he did not plan on her to escape. In fact, Kairi was the basis of a certain Nobody as well as a potential Keybearer, making her a possible threat. Riku, who had been a medium for Xenmas's other side, was originally suppose to be the original Keybearer if he had not given into the darkness. Perhaps when Riku was caught in the explosion of that inferno machine that had somehow gotten rid of the darkness within him. Riku also worked with both Mickey and Xenmas's main obstacle and was responsible for leading Sora here and kidnapping Roxas.

Roxas, no, Sora was the biggest threat to him, to his plans. Although he would have thanked Sora for disposing of some rebellious members as well as giving birth to Kingdom Hearts, Xenmas knew he had the potential to best him. After all, Sora had eliminated all but three of Organization XIII; that traitor Axel had opened the way to this world and Roxas, through and against his will, became one with Sora. Xenmas knew from previous experience that Sora was skilled, and it seemed that even with Sora's visit to Castle Oblivion and absence, he had become stronger. Xenmas could not feel the chains called fear or the pyre named revenge, but he did know that if Sora were to finish him of, then no Nobodies would ever be complete. Once the first person came to the top of the stairs, Xenmas mended his dark portal to bring the visitor and him to a secluded section of the city down below, planning to reduce their numbers one by one. The one who reached the top of the stairs first was Sora.

Despite the curse that Xenmas placed on Sora, which drained away his heart slowly, Sora continued to fight on, even making Xenmas believe he was surprised. Two years ago, Sora fought him with his friends and Sora had trouble to keep track of Xenmas. Now it seems as though Sora had the upper hand in the battle, and Xenmas was losing. Did his heart become stronger, or did this extra power come from Roxas, Sora's other half? The battle eventually came to the point when Xenmas could not battle without losing power over the battle ground, and soon enough, both he and Sora were back at the altar. Sora's friends, who had prayed for his safety, ran over to him, seeing if he was okay. If there was one thing Xenmas envied about feelings that he could not have, it was the compassion that flowed inbetween them. He looked up to Kingdom Hearts, which had not recovered much hearts since its injury, and a plan flowed into his mind. If the heart had the power to even restore a heart to a Heartless, it should serve his purpose well.

"Kingdom Hearts," Xenmas said as he ascented to the hollowed moon, "I cannot be complete without you, and you cannot be complete without me."

"What are you doing?" Mickey was surprised just like the others. Is Xenmas going this far to unleash the powers of Kingdom Hearts?

Xenmas paid no attention to the stricken faces of the Keybearers, now floating in the middle of the heart. "Lend me your power, Kingdom Hearts, and I shall give you as many hearts as you need."

"Stop it!" sqwacked Donald.

"Fill me with your anger..."

"Don't do it!" Kairi cried.

"Fill me with your rage..."

"That's enough!" shouted Riku.

"Kingdom Hearts, we shall exist, and they will know our true strength!"

Xenmas heard a chain rattling, and looking down, he saw that Sora was pointing his Keyblade at him, at Kingdom Hearts. Riku stepped forward as well, summoning his keyblade, and Kairi raised the one she got from Riku. At a point when the villian would leave his guard down due to such a ridiculous display of persistance, Xenmas continued to maintain the growing power of Kingdom Hearts. They could not stop him from reaching his ultimate goal. However, the tips of the three Keyblades glowing, still focusing on Xenmas. Mickey had a worried look on his face, but knowing the three who were standing against Xenmas, he let their hearts guide them. The three Keyblades suddenly a bright light at Xenmas just as Kingdom Hearts had reach its peak of its remaining power. Sora, Riku, and Kairi were hoping to lock away Kingdom Hearts's power or at least seal Xenmas from the power itself. However, the light from the combination of the Keyblades and Kingdom Hearts soon overwhelmed them all.

---

He had expected to fall on solid ground, only to land on something grainy. He had expected to be looking up at the eternal night that loomed the city, but he saw leaves of a tropical tree. He had expected, though he did not wish so, the laughter of Xenmas as they failed to stop him. However, he heard the cawing of seagulls and the gentle rushing of water, something he had not heard for two years. Sora got up and look around, eventually going back to just lying on the ground. That was, until a familiar face loomed over him.

"Hi, Sora." The redhead smiled. "Deja vu."

Sora quickly sat up, embarassed about sleeping on the job, but he remembered that they weren't building a raft this time, so his face stayed red a little longer. "Uh, heh heh. Nice weather, huh?" Kairi giggled.

"It's hard to predict. One day, it's a peaceful sunny sky, and the next day is a darkening thunderstorm." Both of them turned to the silver-haired boy, who was looking towards the horizon. "It's been a while, hasn't it."

Sora nodded. "Yeah. I can't really believe it. I...we're back."

Kairi ran up to the shore, turning around to face the two boys. There was a smile on her face. "Welcome home."


	2. Erasing the Stars

**There are no such things as me owning Kingdom Hearts, which is Square and Disney in a potpourri. However, there is a thing called a disclaimer. See first sentence for example.**

* * *

The silver-haired youth leaned back on a palmtree, gazing into the setting sun past the ocean. The scenery was somewhat tranquil and peaceful, making him wonder why he had left in the first place. Of course, he knew the answer so clearly; it began with that dream. 

He remembered standing upon a platform of stained glass, with three perfect circles arranged in a peculiar fashion. He remembered the choices he made between three memorable weapons...perhaps they somewhat dictated the course of his actions. And then, he remembered fighting those dark shadows, those things he would later know as the Heartless. And as he remembered that voice...

Riku stiffled a laugh. Sora mentioned he had a similar dream, and if they were to compare those dreams, they both would have had the same dream, the same destiny. However, he figured, Riku had the dream before Sora did, but he had thoughts that he could never leave the island...thoughts that darkened his heart because he...

He shrugged the thought off, exhaling those dark memories. He didn't really want to dwell on what he...what Malificient and Ansem had done to Sora and Kairi. Fortunately, he had learned to cope with the darkness within him and recently had a majority of it removed from him thanks to Ansem the Wise's sacrifice. Ansem...Riku pondered. Was Mickey going to okay that an old friend of his had thrown away his life just to follow his heart? His redemption? Riku had taken a similar path when he stayed behind the Door to Darkness, and for that...

Okay, so he had much to think about ever since he left the islands. But now that he's back on Destiny Island with his friends, he did not want to leave the islands. No, he did not want to leave his friends again. Where was everyone anyway? Well, him, Sora and Kairi did not have a decent meal around the time they infiltrated the Organization's world, so Kairi was combing the island for ingredients. Sora left as well in order to check on the Keyhole there and possibly seal it. As for the others...Actually, the three of them were on the island they played on as kids, and since there weren't any boats tied to island's dock, they would have to wait until tomorrow when somebody would come to the island. His friends, his family...

Well, it seems that he was beginning to miss the struggle against the Heartless and the Nobodies, Riku thought as he got up and headed for the beach. Then again, Kairi told them not to mention those things to the others. Everyone did remember the night the Heartless came, but that would have not been enough to convince any of them about the worlds. All Kairi could say to the islanders was that the three of them were fortunate to escape the Heartless using the raft and eventually battled Ansem, but Riku got lost in the storm and Sora continued to scour the seas for his buddy while Kairi went back home. In other words, it was pretty much their journey except by replacing worlds with islands and altering a few details regarding Hollow Bastion. Well, Riku must had gone through a lot, unable to find her best friends and living with memories of other worlds that no one would understand.

* * *

As he approached the beach, he saw a small fire with some impaled fish and vegetation leaning over it. Kairi was next to it, though she had dosed off. It was not like her to do so, though Riku knew that the past few days could be tiring. Well, with a girl all alone sleeping without anyone nearby, there are so many things to do. Of course, even Riku has his limits, so he simply pick up one of the fishsticks and wave it near Kairi's nose. Her mouth trembled a bit as a small trail of saliva formed from the corner of her mouth, then as she bit into the fish, her eyes opened up, blinking.

"Well, that's going to mess up a lot of fairy tales." Riku whispered to himself as he picked up the other food items and relocated them away from the fire before they got burned. Kairi continued to nibble on the piece of sea meat, then she let out a yawn once she finally woke up.

"I had the most peculiar dream..." Kairi said out of the blue. And of course, nobody would just talk about their dreams unless it was unusual. "I was on this platform and-"

"Sorry I'm late guys!" The dream would have to come later as Riku and Kairi turned their attention to Sora, who was still carrying around the Keyblade and sat down next to the two. "This world is sealed."

"Wonderful." Riku took a fish and munched on it as Sora also picked up a fish. "So, where was it?"

"Well, it's at the Secret Place..." Sora looked at Kairi and blushed, who blushed back as well. "But..."

"But?" Riku wondered why he was hesitating, but Kairi knew Sora had spotted a certain portrait on one of the cavern's walls.

"Well, there was a drawing there, and..." Not only had she discovered that drawing of Sora giving her a Paopu Fruit, but she had also drawn herself giving Sora another Paopu Fruit.

"And what?" How would Sora react to this?

"It reseted..." Yes, Sora would be freaked ou...What? Sora scratched his head. "I can't really say which one it is, but I knew I drew it before I left!"

Riku shook his head. "Maybe the Heartless erased it? Or someone decided to paint over it."

Kairi shook her head as well, though for a different reason. "Sora, for that drawing...did you draw a star on it?"

Sora raised an eyebrow, then understood what she meant. Riku, however, had an idea what she meant, but he did not show it. "I guess I did, but I don't think you would have..."

"'Cause I also drew a 'star' when I came back." Sora blushed when he heard Kairi said that.

Riku scooped sand over the fire and snuffed it out. "Well, it's turning into night soon. Of course, you could just sleep under the stars."

But as it turns out, Kairi and Sora had chosen to fall asleep on the beach. However, what got Riku's attention was that the two were holding each other's hand. He gave half a smile and half a frown, happy and jealous of his friends at the same time. Nevertheless, Riku laid down next to Sora, coming into a deep sleep. As he slept, he felt a hand holding his hand gently. Riku held onto that hand, almost smiling.


	3. They Live?

**Must I repeat myself? I don't own Kingdom Hearts with its Squareness and Disneyness. Otherwise, I would be...doing...stuff...to...the...females...But yeah, I own nothing.**

* * *

Three figures sat on a couch in a white room, looking through an orb. The orb was projecting a view of the Heartless battling a cloaked blonde wielding one wing and a wrapped up blade. What happened next in the orb pretty much upset one of the figures while at least another smirked. 

"I do believe you owe me 100 munny." This voice belonged to a blond man with very short hair. Out of the three, he was the only one who had a mustache and beard, both that were trimmed.

"I knew I picked the wrong guy for the bet." The person who handed the money to the former was also blone, but he had a mullet and no facial hair. He was also the youngest of the three.

"Quiet, both of you!" scolded the redhead of the group. His hair was a mass of spikes flowing to the back, and his face had tears drawn on them. "You should have known that Cloud's no pushover, even if the Heartless are known for their expertise."

"Didn't you also bet on the Heartless, Axel?" The young blonde whined. "You also owe Luxord too!"

"Hey hey," the redheaded Axel argued. "I said I would like to bet on them, but I did not do the actual betting. You have to be careful how things get worded. Got it memorized?"

"I was hoping you would at least risk something, Axel. Winning just isn't fun if you guys give up." The bearded Luxord stroke his...beard.

The blonde Demyx sighed, plucking a few strings on his blue sitar. "It would be more exciting if we could sit in the coliseum itself instead of having to sit here."

"Excitement?" questioned Luxord as he leaned back on his seat, shuffling his cards. "That was a good feeling. It make me wonder, for us who battle for excitement, if we fight to feel that again."

"It's the same as losing someone so close..." Axel twirled one of his chakrams around. Demyx looked at him with a face of disgust, but Axel continued. "Sure, the pain doesn't exist, but your feelings about that person can never surface. Things like kinsmanship and revenge, emotional motivators, no longer provide a spark for us."

Luxord nodded. "I suppose that's true. Our emotions used to guide us, and our thirst for emotions continue to guide us today. It's a game for us nobodies to actually feel emotions."

"HEY! That team just got served by a Shadow!" The three looked at each other and laughed. Well, they tried, but they did not really have any reason to laugh except that such an event would have made them laugh. Sure, some of the other Organization members, the other Nobodies, had already ceased the need to laugh or display other kinds of emotions, but that was ironic. Ironic being that Xemnas, the Superior who was coming up with a plan to give them hearts, disapproved of many emotions.

Suddenly, the three heard a howl, and they turned around to see someone step out of a dark portal. While these portals were common to them, it was the person who just arrived that was unusual. The obvious difference was that, while everyone here wore a black hooded cloak, this man's cloak swirled with both black and white. His hood concealed his face, so nobody was able to recognize him.

The three stood up and pointed their weapons against this intruder. However, the intruder did not say anything. Instead, he continued to walk towards the three. Then he vanished, leaving the three wondering where the intruder went. Unfortunately, Axel found out as a fist knocked the back of his head, sending him flying forward. His two comrades looked at Axel and at the now present intruder, ready to go against this foe. However, the foe spoke, and neither his voice or words reassured Demyx and Luxord.

"Bring me to Xemnas..."

* * *

Kairi picked up a bottled letter that was resting on the shore. It was not the same bottle she had sent out earlier, but taking a closer look at it, she saw three circles on the letter. She recognized this symbol since Donald and Goofy had shown her their old letter from the king before, so this letter would be addressed to either Sora or Riku. She did not really mind how the letter found its way here, yet she did mind when she turned around... 

"Sora? When did you get here?" Kairi was surprised to see her friend. "And...why are you in a tuxedo?"

The navy blue Sora smiled with confidence. "We've known each other for a long time, Kairi. I'm sorry if this is sudden, but..." Sora kneeled down and opened a small box. In it was a ring with a diamond shaped like the charm Kairi made for him. "Will you marry me?"


	4. Rematch for Love

**I do not have the ownage of the Kingdom Hearts. That means I do not pwn Disney or Square. Me no L33T enough.**

* * *

Kairi didn't know what to say. Her friend, who's been with her ever since she arrived here, had just said the four words that would have made any woman happy. She was about to answer back, but suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. She was face to face with a teen who had silver hair. 

"Kairi!" Shouted Riku, who was wearing a black tuxedo. "I can't hold back the feelings I have for you! Please..." Riku kneeled down and opened up a box. Inside was a ring with a gem shaped like one of the flowers on her keyblade. "Will you marry me?"

Now Kairi definitely did not know what to say. Both of her friends just proposed to her in the presence of each other. However, both Riku and Sora noticed each other, and they both got to their feet and drew out wooden swords.

"She's mine!" Sora and Riku yelled at each other at the same time. "No! She loves me more!" Kairi was about to step in and prevent a fight, but suddenly, the Heartless surrounded here. Before she could even get her keyblade, the Heartless dogpiled her. She knew she was not going to last long...

She later woke up to the rambling of her two friends, most likely still at each other. Look around, she noticed that she was back in the castle of Hollow Bastion, specifically the room with the Keyhole where she and the other princesses were captive before. She attempted to get up from the ground, but her limbs, somewhat spread out, seemed to feel a bit heavy. Managing to sit up at least, she looked down at herself and wished she hadn't. Somehow, she ended up in a costume that resembled the Paopu Fruit, her limbs and head in each section of the fruit and her face (with some bangs of hair) being the only body part exposed.

"I searched every world for her, and I crashed into one because Donald was about to fly away from it!" Sora shouted. They were fighting as Sora thrusted his weapon and Riku stepped to the side. It was somewhat ridiculous, in Kairi's point of view, since both were still in their tuxedos and fighting with their wooden swords.

"I sold myself to the darkness!" Riku shouted back as he swung his blade horizontally, which Sora countered by crouching. "I hated the witch and I hated Xehanort, but it was worth it for her!"

"You abandoned her when you sought the darkness! I stayed behind and earned her heart!"

"And while you decided to become a heartless, I had to stop Xehanort, the king of Heartless, from trying to hurt her!"

"I would rather become a heartless as long as Kairi is safe!" Sora then lifted the stick above his head and send it crashing down on Riku. There was silence as if nothing happened, and neither of the three moved. After a minute, Riku was the first to step forth, but he dropped his wooden sword as he patted his rival's shoulder.

"Sora..." Riku breathed with difficulty. "I'm entrusting you with the task of looking after Kairi..." Tears formed on his cheek, as the same happened to Sora and Kairi. "I realize what the darkness has done to me. I can't let you see me like this, after all the pain and suffering I caused you." Riku put on the Organization coat as he turned and left. "Well, this is goodbye, my friends. Don't bother coming after me."

As Riku was about to leave, Sora grabbed onto his sleeve. "Don't go, Riku! The three of us promised we'll all stick together no matter what happens!"

Sora was answer with a piko hammer to his head. Riku fumed. "Sora! I told you to look after her and **YOU. HAVE. FAILED!**"

Sora stared at Riku, and then they shifted into Final Form and Dark Mode respectively, but this time fighting each other with Struggle Bats. Kairi laid back on the ground in her Paopu costumed and sighed, but she then saw Namine, who had disappeared sometime after Riku had shown up at Nobody HQ.

"Um, Namine, mind getting me out of this?" Namine smiled, and then she crouched down and started poking her in the forehead.

"Poke, Poke, Poke, Poke..." Namine sang, annoying Kairi. However, she couldn't feel the finger of this blonde, but she could feel it just the same. Well, this whole ordeal did make a lot of sense now.

* * *

"Poke, Poke, Poke, Poke..." a chirpy voice sang.

Kairi's eyes were closed, telling Sora and Riku that she still needed time to decide. However, the poking was annoying her, and she knew one who did that on purpose. "Selphie, please stop doing that..." Kairi mumbled, still sleeping.

"How'd you know my name?" The voice answered back. It was bubbly as her friend Selphie alright, but it was higher than the last time Kairi saw her.

"What are you talking about?" Kairi grumbled as she opened her eyes. "You're my best-"

This time, Kairi actually opened her eyes and scooted back. In front of her was Selphie. She still had that bell-shaped hair and she still wore a yellow dress. The only thing that alarmed Kairi was that Selphie was as short as she was back at the night of the Heartless. No, not only shorter but also younger. Kairi did not know what to say.

Soon to join Kairi were Riku and Sora, who have woken up and just as puzzled as her. Selphie was a bit confused herself, but she did speak when the others could not find words to break the silence.

"You guys look like older versions of my friends!"


	5. The First Slip Up

**Disclaimer! Disclaimer! Disclaimer! Disclamer! Yeah, Square/Disney owns Kingdom Hearts.  
**

* * *

There was silence among the three known as Sora, Kairi, and Riku. In front of them on the beach was a Selphie who was younger than all of them. The Selphie that Kairi knows was at least the same age as her. And Selphie just said that they resmembled her friends, only older. If Kairi had been missing for a couple of days, why would Selphie not only forget her but also refer to them indirectly. Fortunately, Selphie's words were not those of true shock, so Kairi was able to find the words to speak up.

"Well, Selphie...Do we really look like your friends?" Kairi chuckled nervously. "I would like to meet them..."

Selphie's next words did not comfort them more than previous set. "Don't worry! They'll be here in an hour!"

Kairi, Sora, and Riku exchanged glances at one another. Within seconds, the three were huddled together in a circle.

"You think Selphie's sister is playing a joke on us?" Sora whispered. "We just got back..."

"She isn't good at hiding jokes." Whispered back Kairi. "Besides, she doesn't have a sister."

"Well, we did come back after we stopped Xemnas." Whispered Riku with some thought. "Could be a last minute trap."

"Nah, Selphie would have been up to date if he wanted to fool us. Maybe everyone's under an aging spell."

"Or we could be in a world that's messing with our memories...where does that sound familiar?"

"Hello...I'm still here!" The trio remembered that Selphie was still there and turned to her. Selphie was bouncing up and down for their attention. "You still haven't told me who you are or how you know my name!"

Well, what would they tell Selphie, if that was who she was? Telling her their names was going to require explanations they could not spare, and pretending to be relatives might be tough if their previous counterparts did exist. It was a good thing that Sora came up with a plan, or so it seems.

"Well Selphie...the truth is..the truth is...we're actually wizards!" Sora replied, hiding behind a smile.

"You are?" Selphie fell for it.

"We are?" Riku and Kairi looked at each other and at Sora, but they made it less noticable so that Selphie would not know.

Sora nodded to Selphie. "Yup. We come from a very, very faraway land where we fight creatures of the darkness and emptiness. The three of us just took care of an evil cult, and to celebrate, we're taking a vacation at this little island..." Selphie was becoming more interested in the story. "BUT...we have a law that we can't show our true faces, and locals would already know themselves. That's why we were casting a spell to make ourselves look like the kids who come here often, but you sort of woke us up before we could complete it. You see, we have to wait until the spell wears off before we try it again."

Selphie lowered her head. "Aw, I'm sorry. I didn't know you guys can do magic..."

Sora patted her on the head. "Don't worry, I don't mind. I only have one thing for you to do..." Selphie looked up at him. "Don't tell anyone about us, not even the ones that look like us, okay?" Selphie nodded. Sora confirmed this with another smile. "Good. Obviously, we can't stay around when your friends come by, but don't worry. We'll meet from time to time."

Saying their farewells, Sora, Kairy and Riku heading towards the inner part of the island while Selphie decided to shift the sands around in order to hide their footprints. Sure enough, the kids started to arrive on the island, and as promised, Selphie did not mention the "wizards" who were at the beach earlier. Meanwhile, three certain individuals were spying from the foliage.

* * *

Kairi: "I see us, I mean, them..."

Sora: "Wow, she was right. I guess that wizard story was pretty good."

Kairi: "The reason it was good was because it was Selphie. Though, I didn't think you could even make a story up."

Sora: "Thanks...Wait, what's that suppose to mean?"

Riku: "Quiet, both of you. Sora, you mentioned drawing a star, didn't you? When was that?"

Sora: "It was the day the Heartless came..."

Riku: "...I think we might be in the past, specifically before the Heartless swallowed up Destiny Island. Unless you think it's something else, then be my guest."

Kairi: "Did sealing Kingdom Hearts and Xemnas do this to us?"

Riku: "Most likely. How...I'm not sure. However, we should try to keep a low profile so that we don't affect our timeline."

Sora: "Um...How did our world disappear?"

Riku: "It disappeared when the Heartless found the heart of the world."

Sora: "And if the world's heart is sealed?"

Kairi: "The world should be safe from the Heartless. Why?"

Sora: "Heh heh...Remember when I told you I sealed this world's Keyhole?"

Kairi: "..."

Riku: "...Damnit."


	6. Behind the Scene

**Kingdom Hearts owned by Disney/Square. No plans of bringing original characters here.**

* * *

Among the three future versions of Sora, Kairi and Riku, they all agree with the fact that they are in the past before Kingdom Hearts began, and having seen the raft, assumed that there weren't many days left before the Heartless come and destroy Destiny Island. They also agreed, though Sora was reluctant to admit, that Sora's sealing of the Keyhole might have changed events. 

As far as each of them initially remember, there was an overwhelming number of Heartless that night. The fact that the Heartless were like nothing seen on the island proved to Riku that there were not of Destiny Island, thus he was able to link his dark desires with the Heartless and leave the island. The Heartless go after hearts by instinct, but there are two things that also attract them: the heart of the worlds and the Keyblade. Because of the darkness from Riku and the mass of the Heartless, Sora was given the Keyblade supposedly for the purpose of sealing the world. However, the world was nevertheless consumed, and it seems as though the quick destruction of the world had aided in throwing Kairi's heart into Sora and bringing Sora to Transverse Town where he began his adventure. However, if a world is to be sealed, the Heartless cannot travel freely to that world nor could they destroy said world. And since Sora had just sealed the Keyhole of Destiny Island last night...

There would be less Heartless, the island would not be destroyed, and Sora could not leave the island to start his adventure. It is unknown what might happen to Kairi and Riku, seeing as Kairi was still a Princess of Heart of Riku had a bit of darkness in him. However, one thing was for sure: It's Sora's fault.

"Come on, guys." Whined Sora. "How was I suppose to know we were in the past?"

"True, you couldn't have known..." Figured Kairi. Sora was relieved. "So we'll have to reopen the Keyhole."

Sora was shocked. "Reopen the Keyhole? But the Heartless will come back-"

"...And destroy the island, as it had happened." Riku finished. "If we try to interfere with our history, we're going to be infected. For all we know, we might kill ourselves by helping ourselves."

Kairi was thinking for a bit. "Well, I still remember that I blacked out in the cave and woke up at Hollow Bastion...I guess we do have to unseal this world."

Sora looked at Kairi and Riku, hoping they would have a different solution, but he sighed instead. "Geez, this is like Disney Castle...Wait, Merlin!" Sora was energized then quickly went to a slump when he realized something. "But we don't have a Gummi Ship..."

"What are you talking about?" Riku wondered.

"Uh, I'll get to that later." Sora looked towards the beach where their counterparts were. "But until then, we shouldn't go before they leave."

"Wow, Sora, you're smarter than I thought." Riku ignored Sora's realization of the statement as he looked towards the beach as well. "I sorta wish I kept my Organization cloak..."

* * *

"Why did Riku have to leave again..." Sora whined. He whined not because Riku was gone but he was dragging a large canvas sail deep into the miniature jungle. He was relieved once he finally reached the "campsite", where the three were hiding for the day. Riku said he was going to forage for food and Kairi took out a sharp rock to cut the canvas. Sora propped himself against a tree, hoping to sleep the rest of the day off. 

'What a day, is it, Sora?'

"Yeah," Sora thought absentmindedly. 'Defeating Organization XIII and getting sent back to the past is tiring.'

'True, though I kinda hoped we didn't get into more complicated matters after what we've been through.'

'Same here. You know, we might as well make this a vacation.' Silence, then Sora immediately jerked himself up, catching the attention of the girl who was extracting pieces of threat from the sail.

"Sora, what's wrong?" Kairi asked. Sora looked around, finally facing Kairi.

"I swore I just heard someone talking to me minutes ago!" Sora waved his arms up and down.

Kairi put her hand over her mouth as she laughed. "It's just like Namine."

"Who?" Sora remembered seeing that name when he woke up some time after defeating Xenahort's Heartless. There was something about that name that was familiar to him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. However, a light shone around Kairi, and in a flash, there were two Kairis...except the new one was a blonde with a simple white dress. Sora rubbed his eyes, and sure enough, his eyes did not trick him.

The new girl smiled. "You can come out now, Roxas."

Sora was about to say that he was not Roxas, but he was glowing as well. Once the light was gone, in front of Sora was Sora...no, this was Organization's Number XIII, also known as Roxas. Sora blinked for a bit.

Roxas turned to Namine, ignoring the confused boy. "I guess you were right about me not recognizing you when we meet again. I'm surprised you would be her other side."

Namine blushed a little. "I know! It must be why I felt so close to Kairi."

Kairi stood up and greeted Roxas. "So you're that voice who helped me find Sora. Roxas, was it? Thank you."

Roxas then turned to Sora, having a guess of what he would ask. After all, Sora's mouth was still going up and down without any words. "How did we leave your bodies?" Roxas looked back at Namine, as if expecting her to explain. "I suppose the best explanation we could give you is that we're figments of your imagination with mystical powers."

"Figments of our imagination..."

"Yep"

"With mystical powers..."

"That's right."

Namine spoke up. "Sorry, but we don't know either. All we could say is that your hearts made it possible for us to still exist in a sense. We don't have bodies now, but we'll try to help out the best we can."

"That's right." Roxas agreed. "You remember that bout back at the Nobodies' world, don't you? I was able to put up one heck of a fight with you, but your friends couldn't see me. I guess Nobodies and their others can see us."

"Then I suppose we have lots of catching up to do..."

* * *

Unaware of what Sora and Kairi were doing other than preparing for tonight, Riku picked some fruits that were hanging from the trees. These would have to do since there were any animals on the island itself and the kids were spread over the beaches. However, the reason he volunteered to gather the fruits was because there was one he was curious about, and he just so happen to know where it would be. 

"You wanted one, didn't you?" Riku noticed this voice, and he was glad to have not stepped into plain view of the speaker. Up until now, he had not noticed that the sun was withdrawing behing the mass of water.

"A Paopu Fruit?" Now Riku remembered this certain scene. That means that they have the remainder of today and tomorrow before the storm was suppose to come. That information did not really change the fact that Sora had to unlock the Keyhole tonight, but then how would the future versions leave the island?

"If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what." Was it really a smart choice back then? Riku never did offer the fruit to Kairi. He considered himself only a friend even though he liked her. However, he also noticed Sora's feelings towards her to the point where even their nobodies shared the same "feelings". Was the legend of the Paopu Fruit true? As childish as it may seem, his curiousity beckoned him to stay.

"C'mon, I know you wanna try it!" Boy, that really sounded wrong. Riku hid the urge to laugh at this one. But then, Riku wondered what would have happened if he had chosen to share the Paopu Fruit with Sora. Riku did not really have any affection towards boys, but maybe he and Sora would have worked together instead of against each other. Maybe he would have believed Sora's heart at the time and avoid fighting him to the point where he lost himself to Xenahort's darkness...

"What're you talkin'—" It was cut off by a laugh. Of course, even Riku knew he should not try to mess with young Sora's decision. After all, Sora did abandon the chance to stay with Kairi in order to search for him. At least Riku did not have to worry about the fruit on his account.

Now that young Riku left, the older Riku continued to observe. He could see Sora looking at the fruit in question that was in his hand. After few seconds of silence, Sora threw the fruit away, surprising Riku. A few minutes later, knowing that the all the kids would have left the island at this time, Riku popped out of his hiding place and walked towards the discarded fruit. Picking it up, he noted that there wasn't much bruises on it. Suddenly, he smirked. All this time, he had thought that Sora's protection of Kairi's heart and his leaving behind Kairi was due to the fruit's legend becoming true. But now that the fruit was here in his hands, it occured to Riku that Sora's bond with Kairi -and him- never needed a fruit in the first place. Pocketing the fruit, Riku headed back to the campsite as to not make the others suspicious.

Later, Riku found Sora and Kairi together. However, he was kind of hoping that Sora and Kairi took the risk of making out behind his back. Instead, he saw Sora dueling against the air and Kairi talking to a different air. Of course, he did get an explanation...

* * *

Finally, night came. By then, everyone other than the three were far from the island. The actual reason the three had waited this long before heading towards the beach was because all three of them were reluctant to let the island fall to darkness despite the importance of that part. Even Riku, who stood strongly with the fact that the Keyhole had to be unsealed, frowned upon the idea. Sora looked up at the stars, which were actually different worlds. 

"Is it really okay to do this? Sacrificing our world to protect the others?" Sora thought aloud. Kairi wondered as well and Riku had to agree with them. Before anyone could speak a word, however, Sora noticed a falling star, only it wasn't a star.

"Get back!" The three kids withdrew to the forest just as the meteor came crashing down onto the the beach. As the smoke cleared, Sora, Kairi, and Riku peeked from behind the trees, making sure that the moonlight did not reveal them. The meteor that had fallen was actually a Gummi Ship, a bulky build with a red and black exterior. After the surprise of seeing a Gummi Ship here, the kids then noticed two things about the ship. However, the third surprise came when the cockpit opened up and a figure stepped out of it.

_'What's he doing here?'_


	7. Last Night

**Kingdom Hearts not mine. And thus I have disclaimed. I do wish I can pick up on this.  
**

-------------------------------------------

There were three things the Keybearers, from their hiding place, noticed when a peculiar Gummi Ship crashed onto Destiny Island. First, there was a Heartless symbol right on front of the ship. Second, the ship happened to crash on the raft the kids (their past) have been building. And last but not least...

"What's Pete doing here?" Sora was familiar with the pilot in question. After all, it was hard to forget the incompetent yet loyal minion who helped Malificient create (or try to create) powerful Heartless. It was even harder to miss his blubbery build and bulbous chin. But that still didn't explain what he was doing here nevertheless. After all, their raft was still suppose to be in one piece, and it was definitely not suppose to be a landing pad for any extraterrestrial ship made of blocks.

Pete looked around, and with a shrug, he waved his hand. To the hidden trio's surprise, a black creature popped out of the ground; it was simply a Shadow, but it was still a Heartless, seeker of hearts. The giant looked at the puny creature, confused at first, but then he decided to go into a fit. As for the Shadow, it found out what tons of lard could do to it.

"I can't believe this world got sealed already!" Bellowed Pete. Sora grimaced at the reminder. "And that means the Keybearer awakened earlier than usual. Now how are we suppose to single out that Princess of Light without the Heartless?"

At that mention, the three kids flared up with anger and would had jumped out if Riku had not held them back. Until now, the three had only thought of the Heartless invasion on Destiny Island as a routine of the Heartless, even when Malificient and the others controlled the Heartless. Was Malificient so heartless as to send an island, a world that never knew much about other worlds, to the darkness just to get one person? No, not only Kairi but also Riku. Perhaps it was only a coincidence, but both Kairi (sans heart) and Riku did end up at the villian's keep, and Malificient did help Riku, if helping meant leading into the darkness to the point of betraying his friends.

Grumbling, Pete got back into this ship, ascending back into the starry sky. At this point, the three began to leave their cover.

"Malificient...how could she..."

"She was watching us." Riku interjected. "She wanted to get Kairi and me in order to unlock Kingdom Hearts. She would have probably succeeded to if it wasn't for this." He tapped Sora's chest.

"My heart?"

"Well, not only did you become the Keyblade Master, but you also had her heart in you." He pointed to Kairi. "You care about your friends, even if they might have fallen to the Heartless...even if they don't consider you a friend anymore. All I cared about, at that night, was to leave the island. In a way, I'm glad I wasn't chosen to be the Keyblade Master. Otherwise, Malificient would have succeeded by now..."

Sora was about to speak, when other matters and Kairi got his attention. "Now we have two problems, three if you count Pete." After hearing Pete, Sora didn't have the heart to unseal Destiny Island even though it must happen. Also, thanks to Pete, the raft resembled a tree that went through a typhoon, plus they weren't sure that Pete was entirely gone. Sora sighed as he rubbed his temples. He wish he could just-

Sora smacked himself on the head as he searched his pocket, then slumped into defeat as his search came up empty. Almost. He did feel the lucky charm Kairi had given him at Tranverse Town, but all the other keychains, even the summon charms, were gone. He could have summoned Genie to wish them out of this time period, maybe even get him to fix the raft if the first wish couldn't be granted, but it seems like that would have made this predicament too easy. "I guess we have to unseal this world then..."

Kairi looked over at Sora. "And repair the raft. We can't have ourselves argue about this."

Groaning. "But that took us a long time to build-"

"Which tubby took seconds just to wreck." Riku pointed out. "But that leaves us with Pete. He already came to check on this world. I don't remember him doing so."

"Well, we weren't really here to see Pete, so maybe Pete did check." Kairi figured.

Riku stroke his chin. "Yeah, but there still leaves the matter of Pete having the chance to attack tonight. I mean, he might have held back in order to strike tomorrow night or...or maybe the Keyhole was sealed that night because we were suppose to come here..."

"But wait, that would mean...AH!" Sora held onto his head. "This is getting too complicated!"

Riku could only shake his head. Perhaps they should ponder upon this issue later, for Sora's sake.

-----------------------------------------

The next morning, Selphie was the first to arrive at the island. Looking around, she was glad to see that everything was like they left it, even the raft. The raft looked a bit different, but it's not like it was broken or anything.

Somewhere deep in the forest, three figures laid on the ground, tired from last night.


End file.
